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What Cha' Gonna Do for Me
| Length = 42:04 | Label = Warner Bros. | Producer = Arif Mardin | Last album = Naughty (1980) | This album = What Cha' Gonna Do for Me (1981) | Next album = Camouflage (with Rufus) (1981) | Misc = }} |rev2 = Robert Christgau |rev2score = (B-) }} What Cha' Gonna Do for Me is the Gold certified third solo album by American R&B/funk singer Chaka Khan, released on the Warner Bros. Records label in 1981. Overview |title=What Cha' Gonna Do For Me (Review)|first=Jason|last=Elias|publisher=Allmusic}}}} Three singles were released from What Cha' Gonna Do: the Beatles cover "We Can Work It Out" (US R&B #34), the McCrarys cover "Any Old Sunday" (#68) and the album's title track which became a number one hit on Billboard R&B Singles chart. On Billboard's charts, the album reached #3 on Black Albums, #33 on Jazz Albums, and #17 on Pop Albums. This would be Chaka's highest charting album until her 80's-era breakthrough I Feel For You. Its popularity among jazz audiences was likely due to the inclusion of the Dizzy Gillespie composition "Night In Tunisia" with a guest appearance by Gillespie himself as well as what today would be called a 'sample' of Charlie Parker's legendary four bar alto break from his 1946 recording of the title. Khan's vocal interpretation also features lyrics written by the singer herself. |title=Chaka Khan: What Cha' Donna Do For Me (Charts & Awards)|publisher=Allmusic}} This album was nominated for Best R&B Vocal Performance, Female in 1981.Chaka Khan @ The Envelope Awards Database (Page 2) Two tracks from the What Cha Gonna Do For Me sessions were only released as B-sides of singles; "Only Once" and "Lover's Touch", both remain unreleased on CD. The instrumental intro to "Fate" has been sampled by a host of dance acts all through the 1990s and 2000s, most notably by Stardust on their 1998 hit single "Music Sounds Better With You" and a section of "I Know You I Live You" also features on "Bad Habit" by Onephatdeeva feat. Lisa Milett. For reasons unknown, What Cha' Gonna Do For Me has only been re-issued on CD in both Europe and Japan. The album has yet to see a CD release in the United States, but did become domestically available digitally shortly after Khan won multiple Grammys for her 2007 album Funk This. In 2016, Big Break Records re-issued the album as an expanded edition with special liner notes and pictures containing three additional tracks: "Only Once", "Lover's Touch" and "I Know You, I Live You (Remix)". Track listing Personnel * Chaka Khan - Percussion, Vocals, Background Vocals * Michael Brecker - Tenor Saxophone, Soloist * Randy Brecker - Trumpet, Flugelhorn * Hiram Bullock - Guitar, Soloist * Bob Christianson - Synthesizer * Frank DeCaro - Production Coordination * Louis del Gatto - Reeds, Saxophone, * David Foster - Synthesizer, Mini Moog, Prophet 5 * Ronnie Foster - Electric Piano * Dizzy Gillespie - Trumpet * Gary Grant - Trumpet, Brass, Overdubs * Lewis Hahn - Engineer, Mixing * Larry Hall - Trumpet, Overdubs * Herbie Hancock - Keyboards, Bells, Oberheim, Soloist, Breakdown, Clavitar * Jerry Hey - Trumpet * Kim Hutchcroft - Reeds, Saxophone, Overdubs * David Leonard - Assistant Engineer * Wayne Lewis - Assistant Engineer * Arif Mardin - Strings, Arranger, Producer, Liner Notes, String Arrangements * George Marino - Mastering, Mastering Engineer * Michael O'Reilly - Assistant Engineer * Gene Orloff - Concert Master * Gary Panter - Photo Illustration * Greg Phillinganes - Keyboards, Rhythm Arrangements, Mini Moog * Bill Reichenbach Jr. - Trombone, Overdubs * David Richards - Synthesizer, Assistant Engineer * Barry Rodgers - Trombone * Richard Seireeni - Art Direction * Jeremy Smith - Engineer * Lew Soloff - Trumpet, Brass * Mark Stevens - Bass, Vocals * Hamish Stuart - Bass, Guitar, Vocals * Richard Tee - Keyboards, Clavinet * Bobby Warner - Assistant Engineer * Tim Wild - Illustrations * Michael Sembello - Guitar * David E. Williams - Guitar * Larry Williams - Synthesizer, Flute, Reeds, Keyboards, Saxophone, Overdubs, Horn Arrangements * Anthony Jackson - Bass * Abraham Laboriel - Bass * Steve Ferrone, Raymond Lee Pounds, Casey Scheuerell - Drums * Errol "Crusher" Bennett, Paulinho Da Costa, Chaka Khan - Percussion [ Chaka Khan: What Cha' Gonna Do For Me (Credits)]. Allmusic Non-album tracks and remixes * "Lover's Touch" — B-side of single "What Cha' Gonna Do For Me" (WBS 49692) (Taylor) - 4:31 * "Only Once" — B-side of single "We Can Work It Out" (WBS 49759) (Ruff, Ruff, Kaplan) - 3:55 References External links *''What Cha' Gonna Do for Me'' at Discogs Category:1981 albums Category:Chaka Khan albums Category:Albums produced by Arif Mardin Category:Warner Bros. Records albums